Building an Underdark

[Sky Pilot]

Hey Guys, I'm trying to flesh out a Drow campaign setting to have a little fun with here:

A Good Drow Game

So the basic premise is 13 city states that are about to enter into an intense period of internal strife, civil war and perhaps outright war. So the sandbox map I have going at the moment is:

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So if anyone is interested I'm trying to work up a background for each city and I thought I might open up the floor to you imaginative lot

If your so inclined I want a city template with a couple of paragraphs that looks like this:

1. Ankhyar: Metropolis Population 28,330 (12589 Drow)

Ankhyar is the largest and most populated Drow city in the Great Cavern of the Underdark. Placed almost center in the Great Cavern, Ankyar is bordered by the fungi forests to the south and the Deep Pond to the north. Located at the juncture of all the major river routes in the Great Cavern, the City has risen to be the major focus of trade between the cities and holds the major political and religious institutions of the Drow in this region. Besides its own Noble houses, Ankhyar also houses embassies and houses from all major Drow noble factions and other Underdark denizens.

Ruled by a council of Matron Mothers, headed by the All Mother (Head of all the Lolth cults in the Great Cavern), Ankhyar also is the nominal seat of power for the High King of the Underdark (currently a vacant post). The city is laid out in three concentric rings, with the Ankyar council, High Kings council and priestess academy for Lolth located in a central spire called the Lolthhyre. Ankhyar also has a martial academy located in the second ring known as the Hog-zur.

Ankhyar has access to a wide range of domesticated and wild insect species from the fungi forests as well as several Underdark fish species that reside only in the Deep Pond. The fungi forests also provide food, medicines and raw components for spells. Ankhyar also has direct control of several Duergar clans to the east in the Duergar hills that provide fine metal products. Ankhyar has no direct access to the surface and all surface goods and traded for with other Drow cities that have such access.

[Temotei]

Make sure you make #8 the most interesting one. It has the shortest name.

I'd also recommend putting that image in a spoiler. It really displaces the screen.

[kopout]

I second the motion to spoiler. Do the drow share this realm with other races? Is it all one big cavern?

[Sky Pilot]

Spoilered

The Drow do share the cavern with other races, although these tend to be smaller clans that are under the thumb of one city or another. The other main race would be the Druegar in between 1., 3., 12. and 13. I'm thinking that this area is divided up into indentured Druegar Clans controlled by each of the surrounding cities. Control of a Clan is never a given thing and like all resources fought over, lost and won.

The only way up to the surface is via routes that run past cities 4., 5., 8., 9. 10. and 11. Routes down to lower levels of the Underdark are via cities 2., 3. and 13. Feel free to describe who these routes might lead too and what influences this might have on the cities nearby, i.e Mindflayers or more Druegar further down? Surface routes will different access to surface races (i.e one city might have access to strong forest humanoids while another is limited only raiding kobolds etc). There will be at least 3 surface Elven kingdoms that heavily influence the cities below. Still working out where to place them and what their natures are.

[kopout]

I was thinking of leaving the Druegar Clans as nomadic herders with perpetual clan warfare. this would make the duegar zone a death trap and leave city 13 with only minimal contact with the rest of the drow but correspondingly strong ties with the people "downstairs" from them. because the only contact with the rest of the drow would be by armed caravan they would be the most culturally separated group.

[Sky Pilot]

Thats not a bad idea, I writing up a timeline and will work that in.

[Latronis]

no svirfneblin?

[Sky Pilot]

Yes to the Svirfneblin. I don't have a story (history) to work them in yet though. If you have an idea please throw it in.

[kopout]

What is /are Svirfneblin?

[Latronis]

Well...

What if they were once surface gnomes. Brought down as slaves long ago that have been experimented on an adapted to the harsh wilderness of the undercaverns.

Some great revolt long leaving them with a racial vendetta against the masters of their ancestors. Like old school deep gnomes females are never seen kept hidden away in small villages difficult to get too for larger creatures and the locations secrecy enhanced with powerful abjuration and illusion magics. Not having the numbers to mount a full on offensive or the allies to maintain large populations in one area they send out small groups of raiders to ambush trade caravans and small parties of drow (and duergar) on the way between cities and the surface.

Difficult to pin down and deal with permanentlly they've become a nuisance that also can't deal with the drow permanently from their history.

They should live in small areas scattered throughout the underdark near more isolated drow cities. (and surface entry points if they arn't controlled completely by drow)

[kopout]

what are the red things by city 12?

[Temotei]

Make sure to spell duergar right, unless the druegar are some custom race you made.

EDIT: Svirfneblin are deep gnomes, kind of like drow are to surface elves, except they're mostly neutral, if I remember right. Also, svirfneblin have a level adjustment of +3.

[Latronis]

Make sure to spell duergar right, unless the druegar are some custom race you made.

EDIT: Svirfneblin are deep gnomes, kind of like drow are to surface elves, except they're mostly neutral, if I remember right. Also, svirfneblin have a level adjustment of +3.

That's because they're too awesome for the rest of the underdark

[Temotei]

That's because they're too awesome for the rest of the underdark

I miss drow being cool.

Well...I guess they're still cool...just cliché.

[kopout]

maybe the Svirfneblin can live in the marshy area around city 7? marsh gnomes anyone?

[Sky Pilot]

Yeh duergar... I keep putting the "r" in the wrong place.

Whats the Drow "cliche" Temotei221? I want to see if I can break it up a bit.

The end point I'm looking at is 4 or 5 competing ideals of what it is to be Drow going at it. So some are going to be cliche but I want at least a couple to be something different and unusual. I'll put the draft timeline up when I'm done so hopefully I can get some ideas on that and then flesh out the cities.

I'm thinking about the revolt idea Latronis. I'm thinking of putting them deep into the fungi forests and being tech and insect heavy. Maybe something like the worm-handlers from Nausica.

The red patches are going to be a low fungus plain. Not forest but more along the lines of an open savannah. With mushrooms.

Other subterraen races I'm thinking off are deep trolls, black elves (living deeper still) and giant lizards (cliche I know). hahah I just had a crazy idea, Giant Tortoise Nomads on the red plains, like with tents or fortresses permanently on the backs of these tortoises. Could be dangerous during breeding season

[Masterclick]

One potential idea for a non-drow town if you want to add one, is to make a weaker tribe of non-evil underdark (like a small Svirfneblin town) that acts as a buffer between a drow city and a really powerful elven community that complete restrict traffic through there area and controls one of the surface exits. The surface elves won't attack them just to attack the drow and the drow won't attack them causing an opening to the surface elves to invade.

Edit: Make sure the town is completely on top of the opening so that neither group could go around.

[Sky Pilot]

Timeline the first hundred years:

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200 years ago: Under threat of outright absorption by neighboring Vzztezzodyr, Hezzomythdyr negotiates a trade agreement with the Elven surface Kingdom of Tsun. Hezzomythdyr agrees to end of surface raiding and rare Underdark metals in exchange for surface weapons, magic items and components. Hezzomythdyr keeps this quiet for as long as possible and inflicts a series of military reversals on Vzztezzodyr.

199 years ago: Raiders from Hythdyr and Wulzdyr bring gnome captives from the surface for the first time. Selective breeding programs begin in both cities.

198 years ago: Vzztezzodyr uncovers evidence of Hezzomythdyr trade with the surface. Vzztezzodyr requests a convening of the High Kings council in Ankhyar and charges Hezzomythdyr off conniving with enemies of Lolth. After much intrigue and backstabbing the charges are upheld and the Hezzomythdyr representatives sacrificed to Lolth for good measure.

197 years ago: Hezzomythdyr is besieged by a Drow coalition led by Vzztezzodyr. However although Hezzomythdyr is successfully blockaded, the efforts of the campaign are undermined by various factions to weaken Vzztezzodyr. Vzztezzodyr is left holding an economic blockade that will last for another hundred years and vastly drain its resources. Hezzomythdyr enters into a military alliance with the Tsun Kingdom and welcomes a military expeditionary force from the surface. Surface Eleven culture makes its way into the underdark.

195 years ago: Urn enters into a trade agreement with the surface Elven Kingdom of the Gleaming Blade, a fierce rival of the Kingdom of Tsun. Belcordyr also opens up a trade agreement with the Cities of Hindmyr, a cluster of human and elven city states on the surface, in response to Urn’s agreement.

194 years ago: As Urn and Belcordyr profit from their new trade agreements, the slave trade takes a dive as many of the surface routes no longer take raid parties. Another High Kings council is called by Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr, city states that have a strong dependency on slave labor. Charges of consorting with Lolths enemies are laid against Urn and Belcordyr. However the charges are not upheld due to a combination of exceptional diplomacy by Belcordyr a terrifying program of assaination by Urn and the fact that no city state is prepared to commit itself to a long siege and weaken itself like Vzztezzodyr.

190 years ago: Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr ally with Urn and Belcordyr to ensure a supply of labor from the slave markets of Hindmyr. Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr lose much economic might and become dependents.

184 years ago: Ankhyar, Drunbedozzor, Druzbedozzor, Hythdyr and Nordthunezzor lead a series of raids into the lower levels of the Underdark. Many Duergar are enslaved and breeding colonies are setup in the eastern hills to ensure supplies of slaves for these cities.

176 years ago: The surface kingdoms align and lead a massive crusade against Hythdyr and Wulzdyr, the only active surface raiding Drow cities at this time. Hythdyr and Wulzdyr ask for aid from neighboring cities but all aid is forbidden by the All Mother of Ankhyar. The All Mother states that in a vision from Lolth she is told that the resistance of these two cities to the surface armies is a test of the superiority of the Drow race.

173 years ago: Several Underdark weapons appear in the hands of Drow warriors for the first time. Repeating crossbows, ballista, war beetles, primitive grenades and explosive mines are just some weapons that are rumored to have come out of slave gnome workshops.

171 years ago: Hythdyr and Wulzdyr repulse the surface attacks with many losses. Both cities are highly angry with the rest of the Drow and wall off the cavern floor with the rest of the cities. The All Mother uses the victory as a sign from Lolth that Drow are superior to all other races and that a great cleansing needs to take place against those who would weaken the race.

170 years ago: Elven missonaries begin to have success in Hezzomythdyr which is still under siege. At least 20% of the Drow population convert to worship of Corellon Larthian. Shevarash is much more popular however with 60% of Drow turning to this god.

165 years ago: After much propaganda and intrigue the All Mother succeeds in forming a coalition of all cities to exterminate Urn, Belcordyr and Hezzomythdyr. The only exceptions are Hythdyr and Wulzdyr which have politically withdrawn to rebuild. A great army is gathered at Ankhyar. Surface trading Drow are commonly referred to as Un-Lolth.

164 years ago: As the Drow coalition moves to wipe out the Un-Lolth a massive Ithilliad incursion from the lower Underdark emerges. Nordthunezzor is completely wiped out and reduced to rubble. The army gathered against the Un-Lolth is instead directed against the Ithilliad.

120 years ago: With the war still raging, the Drow coalition begins negotiations with the Un-Lolth to enter the war.

118 years ago: Urn and Belcordyr enter the Ithilliad war. The only response able to be gained from Hythdyr and Wulzdyr is “The Drow are obviously the superior race and this is just a test off Lolth to prove it”. The siege against Hezzomythdyr is lifted and a non-aggression treaty signed with the coalition.

109 years ago: The Ithilliad menace is finally defeated, however much resentment is harbored against those cities that did not aid or entered late. The reconstruction of Nordthunezzor is begun, with the new city design being a giant fortress to contain future threats from below.

105 years ago: After a brief recuperation the Drow coalition decides its time to call in debts owed. Hezzomythdyr is again besieged. Over the past hundred years Hezzomythdyr has become some militarized that it is now the most heavily fortified city in the Great Cavern with extensive defensives throughout its territory. Every citizen of Hezzomythdyr is expected to fight in some capacity. Hezzomythdyr again receives aid from the Tsun and the Drow coalition finds the going very slow and costly.

101 years ago: Faced with a war on the surface the Tsun withdraw their military forces from the Underdark. The coalition pushes the Hezzomythdyr forces all the way to the city walls, however the losses are heavy and political upheavels threaten to split the coalition apart. No less than six cities have leaders die (Urn is heavily suspected in this case but no one till this day is able to pin anything on them) and key leaders retire to sort out succession disputes at home. To make matters worse the Duergar revolt and wage a successful guerilla war in the eastern hills.

100 years ago: No longer able to sustain a siege on Hezzomythdyr, the coalition splits between those who want to settle a truce and those who want to push through with a final assault on the city, although most acknowledge that this would drastically cull Drow numbers for decades to come. The All-Mother is eventually forced (not that you would say that to her face) to call for a truce with Hezzomythdyr. She initially makes a demand that Hezzomythdyr is unlikely to meet; the immediate sacrifice of all Corellon Larthian worshippers and an annual slave tribute of female Drow. She is surprised when the city throws over two thousand Hezzomythdyr Corellon Larthian worshipers to their deaths off the city walls. Although a watching force is left in place the coalition forces withdraw to deal with the Duergar revolt and their own internal disputes.

At the moment I'm going to go with villages in the fungi forests to the south. I thinking at this stage that blocking off an entrance would have such a large economic impact that the city would have to destroy the blocking group or face absorption by other cities who would then use the combined forces to unblock the village. In a nasty way. I can of course be swayed by good argument and it actually makes sense that the more hostile entrances would be guarded up above.

[Sky Pilot]

I didn't miss marsh Gnomes either, I'll have to think about that one. Subterranean aquatic Gnomes maybe? Like a whole race of Gollums?

[Sky Pilot]

The next hundred years to present:

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91 years ago: The Duergar revolt fails to be put down, with the eastern hills becoming a no mans land. The coalition falls apart and the All-Mother is sacrificed to Lolth for displeasing her.

90 years ago: Strange gnomes are rumored to escape from Hythdyr and Wulzdyr. Travellers in the fungi forests to the south return with strange tales of deep insects attacking caravans. Whole routes eventually become abandoned and the tales stop.

85 years ago: The new All-Mother attempts to reform the coalition which she calls the Lolth faithful. As traditional social and religious positions in the northwest cities change due to relations with the surface tensions between Lolth and Un-Lolth grow in Urn and Belcordyr. The noble houses in Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr are in full decline with merchant houses becoming the new power houses in these cities. The lack of slaves has forced Drow in these cities to take on many menial roles and as a result all these cities begin to attract much social stigma. Lolth worship becomes second to Vhaeraun, although the Matron Mothers still retain leadership.

80 years ago: Street fighting between Lolth and Un-Lolth begins in Urn and Belcordyr. A silent but brutal war of assassination begins between the agents of Urn and the All-Mother.

77 years ago: Fighting ends in Urn and Belcordyr with Lolth forces slightly ahead but neither faction removed completely from power. The All-Mother turns her attention to Hythdyr and Wulzdyr. Selvetarm worship in both cities has become intense with the matron mothers power in both these cities heavily curtailed. Despite heavy garrisons on the surfaces both cities raid constantly and bring in much wealth. Weapons from both cities fetch high prices and the Drow of Hythdyr and Wulzdyr protect the secrets to construct very heavily. Merchants from Nezzeabezzor smuggle gnome captives out of Wulzdyr and the construction of western weapons spreads to Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr.

76 years ago: Trade wars erupt between the western cities and what now become known as the Vhaeraun Huyldyrs: Nythdyr, Nezzeabezzor and Lyrdyr. The western cities of Hythdyr and Wulzdyr in turn become commonly referred to as the Selvetarm Principalities. Lacking control of the trade routes the Principalites eventually lose out. While militarily superior on a one on one basis, the Principalities face a united enemy with the Huyldyrs receiving political support from the All-Mother and larger coalition of the Lolth Faithful.

55 years ago: The All-Mother slowly tightens her grip on the Great Cavern with opposition being quietly silenced. Trade with the surface is heavily guarded with Lothites taking control of the “surface” quarters. Contact with surface dwellers is heavily regulated. Hezzomythdyr is forced to accept an occupation force but the strong ties with Tsun mean that smuggling contraband is more intense here. Raiding on the surface tends to be directed to unorganized humanoids as the All-Mother gradually builds up Drow strength. The eastern hills face strong subtigation and many clans are reclaimed. Nordthunezzor is strengthened and much exploration of the lower realms takes place. Black Elf communities, former slaves of the Ithilliad, are encountered and relations established. Many strange creatures are met. It is a golden age for Lolth worshippers.

30 years ago: The All-Mother demands that the principalities restore their matron-mothers to their rightful positions of power and sends an armed force to enforce her edict. The Principalities rebel and slaughter the armed force and their matron-mothers. Selvetarm is declared the true high god of the Drow and the yoke of Lolth needs to be shed.

29 years ago: The All-Mother leads a huge force to crush the Principalities. However her army is torn to pieces in a cunning series of military moves by the Principalities and she is captured. A new All-Mother is hastily elected as the Principalities move towards Ankhyar. They are held off just and return bloodied but not unbowed. A political campaign begins across all the cities as the traditional roles of the Mother-Matrons are challenged.

28 years ago: Vzztezzodyr, Hezzomythdyr, Urn and Belcordyr excerpt more political independence and increase trade with the surface. The Lolth Faithful remains temporally occupied with reorganization but keep track of events with glowing eyes.

25 years ago: Patriarchal grumblings increase as the New-All Mothers becomes more radical in her edicts and persecutions. The Lolth Faithful breaks apart into two factions The Eternal Dark and the Bloody Hand. The Eternal Dark are hardliner conservatives who want to close off all contact with the surface and retain a “pure” Drow society. The Bloody Hand are also conservative but want to retain contact with the surface and return to a social balance more in line with the golden age.

10 years ago: Fearing the growing power won by the Bloody Hand in political intrigue, the All-Mother (A member of the Eternal Dark) orders the death of the High King (Bloody Hand member) and prevents the succession of a new High King.

5 years ago: Hezzomythdyr successfully invades Vzztezzodyr in a surprise attack. The All-Mother is unable to organize a military response due to viscous in fighting.

Now: The All-Mother attempts an internal purge of the Bloody Hand. Belcordyr revolts and the Noble houses are wiped out. The Principalities start gearing up for war on a grand scale. The Huyldyrs cities withdraw politically as enthusiasm for the purges quickly fizzle out, Lolth worship continues only nominally. Hezzomythdyr and Tsun enter negotiations to unify into one kingdom. The Eternal Dark purges the unbelievers…

So this is where I'm at. I need to put in some main figures into the storyline and I'm not happy with the final factions yet. I'm looking to create a bit of historical causality here so if something dosn't make sense or sounds a bit whack let me know.

Essentially at the moment I'm looking at:

One Hard hard line faction: Drow on crack. You respect momma now.

One conservative faction who is prepared to be more diplomatice but is still the cliche Drow Lolth worshipers at heart.

One conservative radical faction (doesn't make sense ) i.e we have a new way of being Drow you fools, you are just the diet coke of evil.

One radical faction heavily influnced by the surface elves, neutral rather than evil, but still mean sons of spiders.

One radical good faction, probably Eilistraee worshipers but borderline between good and neutral and a heavy reinterpretation of he dogma that she might be a little squeamish about.

I'm going with marsh Gnomes as well. Marsh nomads traveling in small bands between cities and villages like gypsies.

[Seth1221]

Hezzomythdyr: Population 16,690 (Drow 7,780)

Hezzomythydar had its ups and downs in the recent events. Being the first to establish a trading contact with the surface dwellers it met with most vicious response. Years passed and the city grew to become a nearly impenetrable stronghold.

Ring of stone and metal surrounds Hezzomythdyr - that high wall is the first line of defence. Most houses are located in stalagmites, another natural defense. Years and years of fighting and backstabbing thought the drows how to protect themselfs.

City has a fairly big marketplace. Years of contact with the surface had an impact on it. Seeing a dwarf or even elven merchant isn't so strange at all. in the end Hezzomythydar is the best place in this region to buy some unique surface weapons or magical items.

The Corellon Slaughter was a strike in the hearth for every drow that enjoyed the relative freedom the city provided. And even though years has passed and Hezzomythdyr was on its best way to unify with Tsun, dissenters still remember what happened with people who oposed Lolth. And that is not a pleasant memory.

Thats is why The Silent Sun was created - a secret order of drows who don't believe that they can worship Corellon Larethian openly. The memory of Corellon Slaughter is still fresh in their minds and they know better than anyone that Lolth and the Mathrons never give up. The Silent Sun (refering to the surface worshippers of course) is actively reaching every Correlon worshippers who don't want to act in the open. Recently they managed to reach drows in other cities. The order grows in power and has plans of its own. And those aren't nice to the Mother Matrons who sacrificed the drows nearly 100 years ago. Time for revenge will come eventually.

All of this couldn't be achieved if not for one drow. S'hinqualin was only a child when the Corellon Slaughter commenced. He was born in a Corellon Latharian worshippers home and raised with his ideals. When the Lolth priestesses came his parents hid him in on of many small secret rooms. They stood their ground and so was killed instantly right before the child. S'hinqualin made an oath then - which he's still fulfilling. The leader of Silent Sun is a young radical. His order is more like a terrorist group then a church. He strikes where it hurts the most and run before can be noticed. S'hingualin doesn't trust the Lolth worshippers and he's convinced that the Matrons has another secret agenda and won't allow the unify of Hezzomythdyr and Tsun. Only time will show what will happen. One is certain - Silent Sun won't be just an observer.

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Just to be clear - the fact that Silent Sun are Corellon worshippers doesn't make then all good and fluffy. They are ruthless and hunt down the enemy with no remorse.
I hope you'll like it. Please tell me what you think

[Sky Pilot]

No thats cool, do the Silent Sun worship Corellon or another god? How do they feel about the majority of Shevarash worshipers in their home city? Worshipers who didn't get thrown off the walls?

[Temotei]

Yeh duergar... I keep putting the "r" in the wrong place.

Whats the Drow "cliche" Temotei221? I want to see if I can break it up a bit.

The end point I'm looking at is 4 or 5 competing ideals of what it is to be Drow going at it. So some are going to be cliche but I want at least a couple to be something different and unusual. I'll put the draft timeline up when I'm done so hopefully I can get some ideas on that and then flesh out the cities.

I'm thinking about the revolt idea Latronis. I'm thinking of putting them deep into the fungi forests and being tech and insect heavy. Maybe something like the worm-handlers from Nausica.

The red patches are going to be a low fungus plain. Not forest but more along the lines of an open savannah. With mushrooms.

Other subterraen races I'm thinking off are deep trolls, black elves (living deeper still) and giant lizards (cliche I know). hahah I just had a crazy idea, Giant Tortoise Nomads on the red plains, like with tents or fortresses permanently on the backs of these tortoises. Could be dangerous during breeding season

The most common cliché is the Drizzt syndrome. CG/NG fighter/ranger two-weapon fighting machine, rebelling against his/her kin. There's so many of those now that you may as well make drow good.

Drow need to be fear-instilling, evil, conniving killers, only serving themselves and their family (and therefore, themselves). And Lolth (Lloth, in some literature), for some drow. The males tend to not worship, but respect Lolth.

I understand that most drow have ambidexterity from an early age (or birth), but the whole two-weapon fighting thing is overdone with them. I'd say get some interesting concepts in there. Maybe you could make each city have a specialty. Like two-weapon fighting, two-handed fighting, one-handed fighting (no shield), sword and board, arcane spellcasting, divine spellcasting, sneaking, relations, creators (the creations have to be unique, to make this city the one that has power in creation over all the others), generalists, and unarmed specialists.

Having each city be unique in style as well as setting would make each one seem even more distinct, making each one come to life that much more.

Another idea for unique drow would be bae’qeshel. It's basically their form of bardic music. I don't know about you, but when I think drow, I don't think of bards. But if you do think about it for a bit, you realize that hearing the shrill calling of a drow bard/cleric priestess over the ruckus of battle would demoralize opponents, causing fear. It would also give morale to their own allies. Bardic music = cool when used right.

EDIT: Also, clichés are okay sometimes. They make the unique things come out into the light more, accentuating their uniqueness. They're not really cliché until they're used too much, right? So use the common interpretation of drow in moderation, while keeping the unique parts separate and distinct.

[Seth1221]

@Timotei221:
I'm not sure about the specializations idea. I think that in every city there are assassins as well as arcane spellcasting and skull-crushing fighters. If we divide it so schemtically the cities will become like: City of rogues, city of monks etc. In my opinion it should be more diverse.

Bae’qeshel on the other hand is really intriguing. I heared about it before and always thouth of it as a bard song evil twin.

I also agree with the cliche thing. I see nothing bad in it as long as it has sense and fits the overall situation.

@Sky Pilot:
Yup they worship Corellon. Generally Silent Sun doesn't mind about Shevarash worshipers and they occasionally trade with them (both information and goods), but they are very cautious since they still believe that Lolth will come back to her former glory. So contact between Silent Sun and Shevarash worshippers - Yes - but kept to necessary minimum.

Edit: But Silent Sun agrees with Sheverash's idea of revenge. They just don't want to act in the open like Sheverash worshippers do.

[Sky Pilot]

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Hezzomythdyr: Population 16,690 (Drow 7,780)

Hezzomythydar has had its ups and downs in the recent centuries. Being the first to establish a trading contact with the surface dwellers it met with the most vicious response. Years of siege and constant warfare passed and the city grew to become a nearly impenetrable stronghold. Hezzomythydar is protected by outer ring walls of stone and metal with the city itself being tunneled into a central cluster of gigantic stalagmites, a natural defense. Spending the majority of the last two hundred years under siege the drow of Hezzomythdyr have learnt many tricks in the defense of their home city and surrounds.

The city marketplace is the main locus for the city. Years of trade contact with the surface has resulted in the largest surface quarter of any drow city the Great Cavern. Seeing a dwarf or even elven merchant isn't so strange at all and the marketplace in Hezzomythydar is the best place in the Great Cavern to buy some unique surface weapons or magical items. Here rare metals mined by slaves make the trip up to the surface as well as drow mercenary bands who fetch premium contracts above.

Military Forces:

Hezzomythydyr has been heavily influenced by the Tsun Kingdom in its military makeup. It is also unusual in that it has a civilian army that supports a professional soldiering body. The Hezzomythdyr militia are organized into companies of 100 drow each with each individual armed with longsword, shield, mail and longbow. The standing soldiers are also armed in a similar fashion with many of the infantry specializing in skirmishing and guerilla roles. Hit and run tactics are favored by Hezzomythdyr commanders although they also perform larger surgical strikes.

Hezzomythdyr also has a small contingent of cavalry mounted on horses like eleven knights above on the surface. They are the only drow the ride horses in the Great Cavern, with the horses the result of an extensive breeding program. An avery is also kept for giant bats that serve as aerial mounts. These are few in number however and Hezzomythdyr lacks the large variety of war beasts that other cities can field. Hezzomythdyr’s strengths lay in its versatile infantry and extensive defensives.

Internal Factions:

The Bloody Hand

Few Lolth worshippers remain in Hezzomythdyr. While a pretence was maintained by the vast majority of Hezzomythdyr after the Corellon Slaughter, only a few still truly believed. Those who still remain true believers have unified into a local chapter of the Bloody Hand. They aim to return Hezzomythdyr to the established order, however they lack any real power to do so. At the moment they intrigue and keep the wider Bloody Hand faction informed of developments in Hezzomythdyr. They wait, with the patience of the spider.


The Silent Sun

The Corellon Slaughter was a strike in the hearth for every drow that enjoyed the relative freedom the city provided. And even though years has passed and Hezzomythdyr has begun a political road to unify with Tsun, dissenters still remember what happened with people who opposed Lolth and when the surface dwellers could not aid them. And that is not a pleasant memory.

Out of these dissenters the Silent Sun was created - a secret order of drows who don't believe that they can worship Corellon Larethian openly. The memory of Corellon Slaughter is still fresh in their minds and they know better than anyone that Lolth and the Matrons never give up. The Silent Sun (referring to the surface worshippers) is actively recruiting Correlon worshippers who don't want open worship of Corellon in the Underdark while the Lolth worshipers still remain a threat. The Silent Sun reaches beyond Hezzomythdar to reach the handful of renegade Corellon worshipers in other cities. As the order grows in power makes plans that aren't nice for the Mother Matrons. Time for revenge will come eventually.

The Silent Sun is mainly made up of young radicals lead by one charismatic drow, S'hinqualin. He was born in a family that had turned to Corellon Latharian and raised with the ideals of this god. Still a child when the Corellon Slaughter commenced, when the Lolth priestesses came his parents hid him in one of many small secret rooms. Hidden he only learnt his family’s fate when hunger forced him to venture out two weeks later. S'hinqualin made an oath then - which he's still fulfilling. His order is more like a terrorist group than a church. He strikes where it hurts the most and then runs before he is noticed. S'hingualin doesn't trust the Lolth worshippers and he's convinced that the Matrons have another secret agenda behind the unification of Hezzomythdyr and Tsun. Only time will show what will happen. One is certain – The Silent Sun won't be just an observer.

Those of the Black Bow

Worshippers of Shevash are make up the vast majority of drow in Hezzomythdyr. Those of the Black Bow are the real power in the city being made up of the elite in the city with power dispensed between male and female equally. They are responsible for the Corellon Slaughter, reasoning that the loss of some was preferable to total annihilation, although they let the servants of Lolth do most of the dirty work. Still it often said “there but for the grace of Shevash am I”. The driving lesson from constant warfare is that the Lolth will never leave them be.

The Black Bow have made a choice to go on the offensive to either destroy those who worship Lolth completely or at least negate them as a threat. The assault and consequent occupation of Vzztezzodyr is the first step in this process. Those Lolth who choose to cooperate will be spared those who resist will be put to the sword. The Black Bow also seek to unify with the Tsun as a means of solidifying there own position. Commitment to this is divided between those who see it as a marriage of convenience and those who actually belief a twin kingdom is a desirable outcome for both.

Ok I made a few changes and added a bit more, what do you think?

[Temotei]

@Timotei221:
I'm not sure about the specializations idea. I think that in every city there are assassins as well as arcane spellcasting and skull-crushing fighters. If we divide it so schemtically the cities will become like: City of rogues, city of monks etc. In my opinion it should be more diverse.

Bae’qeshel on the other hand is really intriguing. I heared about it before and always thouth of it as a bard song evil twin.

I also agree with the cliche thing. I see nothing bad in it as long as it has sense and fits the overall situation.

@Sky Pilot:
Yup they worship Corellon. Generally Silent Sun doesn't mind about Shevarash worshipers and they occasionally trade with them (both information and goods), but they are very cautious since they still believe that Lolth will come back to her former glory. So contact between Silent Sun and Shevarash worshippers - Yes - but kept to necessary minimum.

Specialization doesn't mean there aren't exceptions. Of course there are going to be crazy fighter/rogue/master throwers (Jarlaxle) in some cities, and there will be spellcasters everywhere. I'm just saying, an idea is to have a slight emphasis on a certain aspect of combat or society for each city. You know. Instead of:

• Fighters (class or...fighting specialist) -- 20%
• Wizards (class or focused arcane spellcasters) -- 25%
• Clerics (class or focused divine spellcasters) -- 30%
• Rogues (class or roguish types) -- 25%

...it could be:

• Fighters -- 30%
• Wizards -- 10%
• Clerics -- 35%
• Rogues -- 25%

...or:

• Fighters -- 10%
• Wizards -- 30%
• Clerics -- 20%
• Rogues -- 40%

Of course, there would be multiclassed people, people who have NPC classes (some of which fall into categories: Warrior -- Fighters; Expert -- Rogues; Aristocrat -- Fighters or Rogues; Adept -- Clerics...commoners would fall into a category based on their skill set and ability scores, or they wouldn't be in one at all, and there would be a separate category for commoners), and people who just plain old don't have classes (because of racial hit dice, etc.).

My point is this: There are always exceptions. A city of rogues would obviously not all be rogues, unless those rogues eliminated anybody who wasn't one of their own for some reason.

Also look at it from a gameplay aspect. A city of pure fighters would never be able to stand up to a city with a balanced set of rogues, fighters, clerics, and wizards all buffing up, healing, exploding, sneaking...etc. If a city is going to be exclusively rogues or exclusively clerics, make a good reason.

Example: Cleric-only city: Female drow clerics got tired of insubordination from males all over, and called upon the spider queen to smite those who would not follow Her will to the letter--which, incidentally, ended up clearing the city of everyone except for a choice group of clerics. No males survived the massacre, so reproduction was at a halt. To keep the city going, the clerics had to summon demons so that they might reproduce with them, creating all sorts of foul creatures, not the least of which was the draegloth. As the clerics grew older, the city grew stronger. It seemed as if the city itself was alive, feeding off of the unholy energy at work in the place. Soon after the oldest of the clerics died, the younger ones started to fight over the position of supreme leadership. So stands the city now.

Just an example following my explanation and elaboration of my point.

[Seth1221]

@Sky Pilot:
OK that's cool. My English could be better when it comes to characteristics and overall narrations so make any corrections you think will make it better.

So the Black Bow was responsible for the Corellon Slaughter? I must've missed it. So Silent Sun hates them too then - but keep contact when necessary. The may hate the Shevash worshippers but know that Lolth is the truly responsible one and focus their actions on the Lolth fraction. (I believe that necessary evil is common in drow society so at some point Silent Sun understands the reasoning of Black Bow.)

@Temotei221:
Yup I had in mind something like you just said. Only spellcasting city would have no chance with a balanced city. City with only one class - not so sure about it. But emhpasis on one class is a good idea. How do you see it? Do you want to have like an academy where the best of all Underdark go for education?(for example - arcane academy in one of the cities). Or more secret road? Something like ace up in the sleeve? A secret unit specialised in one task? (Assassins are first that come to mind)

[Sky Pilot]

@ both you guys
I was thinking each city will have a mixed set of fighting troops, magic users etc. The main specialties will be in specific tactics, favored arms, mounts available etc. So in some degree each city has limited resources which shape its forces to some degree. As you say outright specialization can be dangerously limiting.

Looking at your idea, I think I realize that in many regards I was going to keep it fairly tame and conventional with the cities, i.e fairly logical thinking humanoids following a fairly familiar historical script. Having said that its fantasy and I don't see why it should not a more alien mindset. Did you just want to leave that cleric city as an example or expand on it?

[Seth1221]

It's just like you did with Hezzomythdyr - horses in the Underdark? Intriguing....
I thought that we could place some kind of Wizard Academy in one of the cities. It could be fairly independent from the Matrons since it would be very influential structure.

Oh and I have a question - who exactly is High King?

[Sky Pilot]

There is no High King at present. Originally I saw him as a having a balancing role with the All-Mother but I need to work on defining exactly what the High King did. Also does every city have a king or is power solely in the hands of a Matron Mother.

A break down of the political structure at each city will be needed with a few titles and defining of roles (even if these are undefined or tenuous).